Seeing things?

lol - yup they can be confusing these darn hallucinations...

Cracked

Blinkybear, check out this link. Many bipolar people have the peripheral vision shape movements you describe:

http://bipolar.about.com/u/ua/psychotic ... ations.htm

It's quite common, especially if you are bipolar I. I have slightly different symptoms (I start to have either synaesthesia in which I hear sights or spatial distortions), but this is not uncommon. I would report it to your physician, though, since it can indicate the start of a manic phase.

Still waiting to get into my doctor. Thanks for all the input guys! Son, to answer your question, at the very second it happens it seems real, but then right after my reasoning kicks in and I realize that it's not. Also thank you for the link. I will definitely let you know what my doc says. I'm a little worried that I'm on the edge of having a hypomanic episode. I've been getting more and more irritable lately and having odd thoughts. I really don't want to start over with my meds though. I've gotten down to half a pill a day from about six a day.

Re meds - remember it is better to be on them and stable than off them and not. I do hope things work out in a positive way for you soon.

Cracked

BlinkyBear wrote:I'm currently going off my bipolar medication under my doctor's supervision. Things have been going alright, but lately I've noticed that I sometimes see things (movement, shapes, figures) out of the corner of my eye and it causes me intense anxiety and paranoia when this happens. I always have a feeling that I know what it is, almost like deja vu. Is it just a normal thing, or is it something I need to bring up to my doctor on my next visit? Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

scary, my whole time being bipolar I've never had an audio or visual hallucinations, but recently past 3-4 months I'm having the exact same problem, i see stuff out of the corner of my eye and immediately filled with terror until i do a double take and see nothing is there. i am off meds ATM, i know it's a bad idea, but my primary doctor cancelled me, and my psych doctor moved, so I'm waiting for a new doc, if it gets real bad i can go to the ER (if i ever fully saw a hallucination [directly look at], i would head straight over).

for two reasons,

1.) i want to know what i see in everyday life is real.

2.) I'm a very down to earth person, I've done lots of illegal narcotics (after i turned 19, played by the book before then). and have never hallucinated, even on 100x salvia (legal but strong hallucinogen) i saw stuff change (desks look like their moving) but i never "tripped" or completely left my reality for a dream world of pink elephants. On salvia or any other hallucinogen, my visuals stay grounded (visuals stay grounded means my trip based on reality), things don't change they simply move or shake. so this seeing movement out of the corner of my eye is bothering me, because its the most visual trip i have ever had, with or without an outside stimulant.


does anyone know if this is bipolar related? TBH i would think it leans more toward PTSD with the sheer amount of terror i get from seeing these hallucinations? movements? whatever you want to call them.

OP says it causes the OP intense anxiety and paranoia, i would consider that the same as terror, but maybe I'm wrong.

please post the cause (what your doctor believes it is) if you find out OP. thanks.


edit: OP read link to "bipolar people describe their hallucinations", it seems other bipolar people are seeing things out of the corners of their eyes as well, i also read that the hallucinations for some are much worse.

Bipolarized wrote:does anyone know if this is bipolar related?

I get visual hallucinations as part of my bipolar but there are other causes including like you say some form of PTSD and also medical causes. I would suggest you see a Dr to make sure you are properly diagnosed.

Cracked

CrackedGirl wrote:

Bipolarized wrote:does anyone know if this is bipolar related?

I get visual hallucinations as part of my bipolar but there are other causes including like you say some form of PTSD and also medical causes. I would suggest you see a Dr to make sure you are properly diagnosed.

Cracked

HEHE, i was actually thinking the same thing recently. i was wondering if my diagnosis is correct firstly, and also if they have a questionnaire at the hospital i can fill out without being admitted that could diagnose me better and more accurately. i was starting to lean towards PTSD only because i did not see a symptom of hyper vigilance in the bipolar symptoms, however it was on PTSD symptom list. and i cant find any other MH problem where hyper vigilance is listed as being a symptom on.

is it possible i have both bipolar and PTSD? what i really need to do, especially not having a doc ATM, is go to the ER and see if they can PROPERLY diagnose me. I'm not denying being bipolar, all I'm saying is i feel like something else is wrong and i would like to know whether there actually is something wrong or not.

http://ptsd-symptoms.org/

i have trouble staying asleep, i tend to wake up every hour. there are certain smells/ sights that will set me off, anything to do with the hospital, more so when I'm involuntarily am reminded of the hospital.

i see red the most when I'm in a hospital and told i can't leave, ugh just red dead doctors everywhere. i lose it, i told myself last time i would never control the impulse to fight in a hospital again, it leaves me depressed and beaten, so never ever again, am i going to hold my anger in, in a hospital, its really a mix of my past and the superiority complex doctors seem to have that upsets me so much i think.

example - "if you swear again ill keep you here 48 hours and that's a guarantee not a threat".- doctor

let me tell you doctor, im 20 ######6 years old, if i wanna swear, ill ######6 swear! it's called freedom of speech, and if you point your finger in my face again you'll have to get surgery to remove my boot from your ass!

sorry but i get very caught up in it, so i'll stop talking about it now. i get super upset, and can murder when i get this upset, i am shaking, this is part of the reason i will be fighting next time i enter a hospital, because when i don't and i recall stuff after the fact i become very pissed, shaky, sad, and a hunger for revenge that can almost make me walk to the hospital to show em who's boss. urgg.

sorry for any language anyone may find offensive, i gotta go chill for a bit.

It certainly sounds like you have issues related to hospital. I would suggest finding a Dr for diagnosis as the ER is not an appropriate place to get this done - you need to be seen by a psych, preferbly on an ongoing basis. This is important so I do think it is something you should put your energies into if you can to find someone. Like I said remember there are lots of causes for visual hallucinations and it is important you are properly diagnosed. If you think it is PTSD as well it is worth having a look in the PTSD forum and seeing if posts there resonate with you.

Cracked

I have complex PTSD and bipolar. They are extremely common as a comorbid diagnosis: bipolar and anxiety disorders in general but PTSD in particular. It's thought that a trauma can create PTSD symptoms, and also act as the life stress event that kicks bipolar into gear